Attack on Divergent: an SnKDivergent crossover
by PartyOnMarth
Summary: An SnK/Divergent crossover focusing on sixteen-year-old Eren and Mikasa, their Choosing Ceremony, and everything that comes after. Probably going to be heavily based on the book. Might be some shipping later? (There is some swearing and there will be blood, so)
1. Chapter 1

**AN: So this is my first fic in a hella long time  
it's probably going to be at least a little weird, so bear with me y'all  
i've been wanting to do a divergent/snk crossover for a while now, so here it is  
i'm posting this here to motivate myself to finish it, so any kind of constructive criticism is welcome!  
also comments  
commentsss  
i dont care who you are if you're reading this then i love you and we are friends**

**anyway i think its time i stopped talking so**

**Chapter One**

Mikasa, my sister, sits next to me, delicately picking at her food. She's pushed her loose gray sleeves up to her elbows, which rest on the table as she stares into her plate. Her long black hair is pinned back in a bun, and I know she would be considered beautiful if she were in any other faction – in Abnegation, you are taught to avoid drawing attention, to focus only on others, never on yourself. For the most part, Mikasa excels at this – just as she does with everything else. She is silent, eyes boring through her food and into the table. She's always been hard to read, but I'm willing to bet she's thinking about the Aptitude Test we'll be taking after this.

I don't eat lunch. I'm not sure if it's because I'm too nervous or too excited. It's probably a weird mix of both. The heavy feeling of dread - worry? Uncertainty? - has settled deep in my gut. Today's test will tell me where I belong – Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless, Erudite. Even I'm not sure where I belong or where I'll end up. It would be truly selfless of me to think only of my parents and stay with them in Abnegation, but I've never been a very selfless person to begin with. Once, my parents had caught me staring into the mirror hidden behind the panel in the wall of our house, watching as I contorted my face into various odd expressions and simply taking in the fact that the person I was seeing reflected in it was _me. _I'd received quite the scolding for that – well, it was more of a sense of disappointment from my parents and especially from Mikasa. She'd have no problem fitting in with Abnegation.

I'm too confrontational for Amity. I know the other kids talk about me behind my back – it's not just me, it's been all of us, recently, with those new Erudite reports being released – and I've never been one to turn the other cheek. My faction might consider it self absorption, but others just call me a troublemaker. Perhaps I'd fit in with Candor; I certainly had no problem speaking my mind.

Mikasa's hand on my arm startles me out of my thoughts. She turns her impassive eyes on me, then tilts her head toward the table we're supposed to be moving to.

Mikasa carefully removes her hand from me – touching was something generally not done in our faction, but I'd somehow managed to convince her that I'm her brother and don't actually care, though she still doesn't do it often – and begins to walk slowly to the doors, obviously waiting for me to catch up. She insists that we let others take their seats before we do, as she always does. I'm a little jealous of the way she is able to so easily forget about herself, how she is able to focus only on the needs of others, never on her own. I am jealous because she belongs in Abnegation and I'm still not sure if I belong anywhere. I'm not selfless like she is. I'm not smart, not really. I'm impulsive and blunt to the point of rudeness, but I'm not particularly honest either. I'm a jerk, really. The only faction I've even really considered so far has been Dauntless. Surely they'll accept a reckless idiot like me, but can I really leave my parents? Mikasa?


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: This is a longer chapter, i promise (it's eren's aptitude test! its prob shitty but i dont care im just trying to finish this and will try to edit later!)  
im trying to write this to resemble the book as closely as possible  
sorry if my pacing's weird or whatever, i'm pretty bad at this and am trying to improve ;w;  
all comments/constructive criticism appreciated  
**

**i love all of you**

**Chapter Two**

The Abnegation table is silent, our heads bowed in an attempt to help the rest of the room forget we exist. No one moves or makes any noise, save for the occasional rustling of clothes as another sixteen-year-old's name is called. I want to talk to my sister, to ask her how she's feeling, but I can't break the silence. It would be wrong. I don't know why, but it would. We're supposed to forget ourselves and help everyone else forget us, too. To speak would be to draw attention to myself. I've been living in Abnegation for sixteen years – long enough for at least some of these behaviors to already be ingrained in me.

While many of the others from my faction are perfectly content with sitting quietly, I am a bundle of nervous energy. My leg jiggles under the table as I try to discreetly cast glances around the room. There's the sound of light laughter and clapping from across the room, where a table of yellow and red clad Amity sit clustered in small groups, chatting and giggling about something or other. I hear the sounds of hands being slapped on the wooden table behind me accompanied by the sound of cards being shuffled and raucous laughter as someone tells a bawdy joke. Dauntless. The faction I'm seriously considering devoting the rest of my life to.

The Erudite table is quiet, but not silent like ours. Almost everyone there has a book of some sort propped open in front of them, resting on hands or on the table. Those who don't engage in soft discussion, with participants pausing to contemplate a new idea or nod in acknowledgment at a particularly strong point. The Candor, dressed in black and white, sit in smaller groups than the Amity, though they are almost as lively. I can hear them arguing, though it's in a friendly tone. Debating, perhaps? A lot of the Candor boys in my Faction History class did that. I don't entirely understand the appeal.

Mikasa's name is called. If she's feeling anxious it doesn't show on her face. She stands and strides purposefully toward the door with the other nine test takers. She has no reason to be feeling guilt or nervousness. She and I both know she has a place in Abnegation with our parents. I'm not entirely sure I have a place at all, and that scares me. I don't want to leave my mom and sad. My hands ball into fists at my sides. _I'm a coward._

I've run through this so many times in my head already over this past week. I've been carefully considering each faction and what it represents, then comparing that to the few notable qualities I know I possess. Bravery. _No, I'm just a reckless idiot most of the time. I never think before I act._ Honesty. _Not honesty, but rudeness. Anger._ Intelligence? _Ha, as if. Jean said you're too dumb to find your way out of a paper bag._ Kindness? _Jean deserved the split lip he got from me, just like I sort of deserved that bloody nose he gave me in return._ Selflessness. _I would stay in Abnegation for my family, even though I know it's not really where I belong. Wouldn't I?_ Every time I even start to think about the impact tomorrow's choice will have on the rest of my life, my brain starts to shut down. The impending Choosing Ceremony is certainly not helping things.

Mikasa returns, silently taking her seat beside me, face impassive as always. She doesn't acknowledge me or offer any words of comfort or reassurance. She is not allowed to tell me her results, just like I am not allowed to ask for them.

An Amity volunteer steps into the room and begins listing off the next ten names. Two Candor, two Amity, two Erudite, two Dauntless. Then, "From Abnegation: Marlowe Freudenberg and Eren Jaeger."

I'm standing before I've even fully registered the fact that my name has been called. I feel a tightness in my chest as I begin the excruciatingly slow walk to the exit. Marlowe walks along beside me, his air of calm never faltering. Beside him I can only imagine how terrified I must seem to anyone bothering to pay any attention to us. For once I am grateful that we are so forgettable.

Once I'm finally outside the cafeteria, I find myself faced with a row of ten rooms on a wall of mirrors. _Great. Now I can see exactly how pathetic I look right now._ I am directed to the room at the far end of the hall. Inside, a petite Dauntless woman with red hair greets me. She has a soft-looking face set in a friendly expression. She doesn't seem at all intimidating, but I know she's got to be tough to survive in her faction. She has large green eyes and wears a maroon shirt with a black jacket and jeans.

She has a small tattoo of two wings, one white and one black, overlapping on her wrist.

"Hello, I'm Petra," she greets me, smiling and ushering me along to a reclined chair in the center of the room. There's a machine next to it, which she takes her place behind. "Now, if you'll just relax. This won't hurt a bit, Eren."

I sit. It feels strange to lean back this far in a chair, but I do as she says. I close my eyes in an attempt to block out the bright fluorescent light shining down on me and to avoid looking at my reflection in the mirror on the ceiling. Petra begins attaching electrodes to me. There's a slight pressure as she attaches a wire to it. I can hear her attaching another one to herself. She tugs lightly on the wire, pulling it in the direction of the machine next to me.

"Here," she says as she holds a small vial of clear liquid out to me. "I need you to drink this so we can begin."

I want to ask what it is she's offering me, but I figure it won't make things any better so I just reach out and grab it, then swallow down the contents in one fluid motion. I must look a lot braver than I feel, because Petra smiles at me in the half second before my eyes shut.

In the blink of an eye – literally – I've been transported back to the cafeteria. For a split second, I wonder if I passed out from nervousness in the exam room – _embarrassing_ – and they had to carry me back to Mikasa. Then I notice that the room is completely empty, save the tables, upon one of which is placed a large, glistening knife and a sizable piece of cheese.

"Choose," says a bleak voice from somewhere in my head. At first I thought I had imagined it, but then it repeated itself. "Choose."

"I... what will I need this for?"

"Choose!"

The yell startles me. I reach out my hands and grab both the cheese and the knife.

"Cheater," the voice huffs. "You were supposed to choose."

There's a creaking noise from behind me as the door opens. I spin around, expecting the source of the voice, but instead I find... a dog? It sniffs the air, catching my scent, then drops itself lower to the ground as its lips curl back in a vicious snarl. I'm frozen in place. I don't want to move for fear of provoking it further. I clench the handle of the knife tight in my hand. My fingers dig into the cheese. I don't want to fight the dog. I don't want to hurt it, but I also don't want it to hurt me. I tear off a small piece of cheese and fling it at the dog. It hits the animal on the nose, startling it. It growls deep in its throat. I am just now noticing how sharp its teeth look, and I am terrified.

Just then, I remember something Mikasa once told me about meeting new dogs. Don't look them in the eye and don't face them directly. Those are signs of aggression. I turn my face and then my body, watching the dog out of the corner of my eye as I move slowly, so slowly. The dog's growling begins to subside and it moves itself out of the crouch. It considers me for a moment, then trots over to me and begins nosing at my hand that's holding the cheese. It whines a little, so I drop a piece.

The dog barely sniffs it before scarfing it down and staring up at me. It sits and whines again. Suddenly, its ears perk up.

"Puppy!" cries the small girl who has materialized on the other side of the room. When did she get there? She smiles and runs toward me.

"Hey, don't-"

But it's too late. The dog bounds off, teeth bared as it charges for the girl. I don't have time to think, so I don't. Knife in hand, I leap after it, fully prepared to kill to save this child.

Just as the knife is about to puncture flesh, the dog and the girl disappear. I blink and I'm back in the testing room. Is it over? I turn to look for Petra, but she's not there. I pull the electrodes off me and swing my legs off the side of the chair. I poke my head out into the hallway... only it's not a hallway anymore. Instead, it's... the inside of a bus? It's incredibly crowded. I don't see any free seats, so I just stand.

"Do you know this guy?" I turn to face a man sitting next to me. His hands are extremely scarred and the flesh seems as though it's been melted. I can't see his face over the newspaper he's holding, but his finger taps the picture on the front under the headline, "Brutal Murderer Finally Apprehended!"

I glance at the picture of the man. There's a twinge of recognition in my brain. I know this guy... but from where? I see the man's hand clench the newspaper even tighter. I can tell he's angry. I feel in my gut that telling him is a bad idea. _Nothing good will come of me telling this man what I know._

"Well, do you?" he asks again, voice impatient and angry.

"No. No, I have no idea who that is," I say, trying to imitate Mikasa's voice, trying to sound sure of myself and not let my voice waver.

"You're lying! Liar!"

_I've always been a terrible liar._

"No!"

He's dropped the paper. I can see his face – it's almost exactly like his hands. Scarred, melted, burned.

"I can see it in your face!"

"What are you even talking about?"

"If you know him... You could save me!" he growls. "This could save me!"

"Dude, I said I don't know him! Chill out!"

Then everything is gone.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: haha back to another short chapter im sorry im trash ;A;  
sorry if eren characterization is weird, i'm still not quite sure how to write him here but :P  
after i post all of the story, i'll go back and edit it when i've got a better handle on things, i promise :0**

**Chapter Three**

My eyes fly open. Petra is looking at me strangely, her eyes wide and brow furrowed as if in confusion. She doesn't speak to me, just begins removing the wires and electrodes. Once she's done, she glances up at me with something resembling... concern? Worry?

"That was unexpected," she finally says, her voice quiet. "I'll... I have to check on something. I'll be right back."

She turns and quickly walks out the door. I can hear her footsteps fading down the hall.

What _was_ that? _Unexpected_? Did I not get a result? Did I somehow manage to fail this test? Is t even _possible_ to fail? Of course I'd manage to fuck this up. It's only the most important decision of my life, that's all. Nothing to worry about, Jaeger, nothing at all. Everything's going to be just perfect.

Petra returns, but now she has a fake smile plastered on her face, no doubt meant to reassure me. "Eren, can I talk to you for a moment? Here, over here," she says, walking to the far side of the

room and gesturing for me to follow. "Let's get away from the door."

I push myself out of the chair and trail behind her. She turns and just looks at me for a moment. "Your results were inconclusive."

What?

"It means that we didn't find the one faction you have an aptitude for," she says, as if seeing the confusion written on my face. I suppose I've always been easy to read. "You see, the way this test is designed... It's supposed to rule out at least one faction for every scenario. That's not what happened with you."

I'm stunned. "So... am I not suitable for any faction? What does that mean?"

"No, no. We've only completely ruled out Abnegation, Candor, and Amity, really. Going for the cheese would have been an Amity response, and the knife would have been Dauntless, but you picked both. We don't know what to make of that. On one hand, you used the cheese and your wits to calm the dog, which was an Erudite or Amity based response, but you also didn't hesitate to attack the dog when the little girl was in danger. You would have killed it, which ruled out Amity but not Erudite or Abnegation," she says, then pauses to look at me. " I moved you to the bus scene. You insisted on lying, which rules out Candor, but you didn't tell him what he wanted to know even if it would help him, which isn't an Abnegation response, so we decided to rule that one out. But, according to the test, your aptitudes are technically for both Erudite and Dauntless. To be honest, I think your Dauntless leaning is more prominent than anything else, but..." She trails off into silence.

It takes me a moment to process this, but as soon as I do, a million thoughts fly through my head. _But the test is supposed to decide who I am! It's supposed to tell me where I belong! How could the test not know? Am I screwed up? How is this even possible?_

"It-it could just be a glitch in the system!" Petra stammers, fidgeting with her hands. "But... this dual aptitude... It's called Divergence," she says quietly, casting nervous eyes at the door. "Listen, you can't ever tell anyone about this. _Ever._ It's dangerous."

I nod dumbly. My chest feels tight and there's a weird feeling in my stomach. I feel like I'm going to be sick.

"Oh, no," Petra begins fretting over me. "Look, it's going to be fine, just don't be sick. I... How about you just head home now? You'll have a lot to think about tonight, and you really don't look too good..."

"I have to tell Mikasa..." I magage to say, even though it comes out weaker than I had intended.

"I'll do it," Petra volunteers, looking as though she's eager to get out of the room. "You can go now. Just be safe, alright?"


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: THIS CHAPTER IS THE SHORTEST I PROMISE ;A; (WHAT IS THIS, LIKE MAYBE 300 WORDS? _TRASH_)  
im shit at dividing chapters, so**

**oh god so i had to go and do some stuff for school and then im in the process of moving rn so this whole situation has just been weird  
my arms still hurt from carrying furniture around and vacuuming every room _twice_**

**anyway i'll try to update semi-regularly/fast-ish from now on :0  
again, sorry if the story is weird! i have a terrible habit of getting excited about starting something, doing like two chapters, then losing interest so i figured i could post it here as a sort of reminder/motivation to finish! this is my initial (cough _shitty_ cough) draft, and i'll probably re-do the entire thing once im done!**

**Chapter Four**

I realize how dumb I was to take the bus home as soon as I arrive. I have some time to spare before Mikasa or my parents get back, and I really don't want them asking questions about my earlieness – all they'd have to do is check the house log. Idle time is not something I want right now, especially after this afternoon's revelation. I think of my choices. Erudite. Dauntless. I'm not one to sit back and quietly read textbooks or have hushed discussions on scientific discoveries, even if I've seemed to convince Petra and the Aptitude Test otherwise. Honestly, the only place I've ever felt like I'd have a chance is Dauntless. I've watched them jumping onto the trains near the Upper Levels building and felt envy for the first time. Mikasa had only ever rolled her eyes and called them stupid thrillseekers. I've never told her about the way I've always felt drawn to them.

I want to be selfless. I want to stay in Abnegation for Mikasa, for my mom and my dad. Though rare, faction transfers leave holes in families. I don't want to do that to them. _But you'll be miserable if you stay here, Eren. The Choosing Ceremony is tomorrow. You have to stop this act and think about yourself for once. You know you've never really belonged here._

I put my head in my hands and resign myself to waiting on the front porch for Mikasa to get home. Thinking about this is really making me feel shitty.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: ayy so its the night before the choosing ceremony  
****i didnt really put in Carla or Grisha Jaeger because im a piece of shit, sorry :'(  
****also, i wanted eren and mikasa to have a sibling moment, so**

**Chapter Five**

I'm silent for once during dinner. My father is vaguely irritated at supper, though I know he's trying to hide it. He tells us about his day - "That Nile Dawk... the nerve of him! I can't believe he'd put out another report attacking..." - and I half-listen. My mother is surprised but pleased at this change from my normal behavior. I've never been able to stay completely silent at dinner, even though mom and dad give me that courtesy after dinner. I've always been too curious, had too much energy. Mikasa, however, has always been the perfect child.

Of course she noticed something was up. I'm standing just outside my door when she steps in front of me. Her eyes would be cold to anyone else, but I've known her long enough to recognize her concern.

"I heard you were ill," she says.

"Yeah. I think it was something I ate," I lie.

She crosses her arms and tilts her head up so she's looking slightly down her nose at me. She squints, though it might be a glare. This is the face she makes when she suspects I'm lying to her. "You didn't eat today."

Of course she noticed. I choose to remain silent.

"Is it about your test result?"

I try my best to keep from looking at her. She's always been able to see right through people.

"Hey," she says softly. "You can talk to me, Eren. I'm your sister. I'm here for you."

I know she is. She's always supported me and put me before herself, just like I've never been able to with other people.

"I'm just nervous about tomorrow's Choosing Ceremony," I say. It's not a lie.

"You know mom and dad will support us no matter what faction we choose, Eren."

There's a short pause as she looks at me, obviously thinking hard about something. The silence and her piercing stare begin to make me uncomfortable. Finally, she speaks again.

"I know you want to pick Dauntless."

I think my eye twitches a little. "W-what?"

"I know you want to pick Dauntless," she repeats. "I'm not an idiot, Eren, and you're not either. You're smart enough to know that this lifestyle isn't what you want. I've seen the way you look at them whenever they're nearby, like you're just dying to join them in whatever dumb, life threatening game they're playing."

She sighs but does not look away.

"Up until today, I've been secretly hoping that if could set a good example for you you'd just somehow become this perfect little Abnegation. More than anything, I wanted you to stay here with me. You're my best friend, Eren," she says. "But today, when I was taking my test, I realized. You're not the person I want you to be. I'm selfish for trying to make you into that. Who am I kidding, you'd hate it here."

I think I feel my eyes start to tear up a little bit. I blink hard, hoping she can't see them. That would be embarrassing.

"And that made me think: if you switched factions like I'm betting you will, where would that leave me?" she asks. "I don't want you to go. I want us to stick together."

"Mikasa, you know I'd stay in Abnegation for y-"

"No," she says firmly, cutting me off. "I'm not going to have you trying to turn yourself into some _martyr_ for me. That's bullshit and you know it is, Eren."

She looks down at her feet. I haven't heard her swear like that before.

"That's why I've decided to go with you. To Dauntless, that is"

"I..." I can already feel myself choking up. It's too late now, I really am going to start bawling. She just smiles and pulls me into a rare hug. "Thank you, Mikasa."

"Don't thank me," she murmurs against my shoulder. "You need me there to make sure you don't get chewed up and spit back out."

We both laugh at this. Shaky laughter, but laughter nonetheless.

I'm not afraid anymore.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: its time for the choosing ceremony! whoooo  
**

**haha where are carla and grisha DO THESE CHILDREN EVEN HAVE PARENTS**

**Chapter Six**

Mikasa and I stand with the rest of the sixteen-year-olds. My legs are sore from climbing twenty flights of stairs so that the other factions could take our spots on the insanely crowded elevators. I end up next to Mikasa and a really tall kid whose name is Bertolt Hoover. If it weren't for his clothes, I'd never have guessed he was Dauntless. He seemed to be the really timid, nervous type. Our families are behind us, divided by faction. Rows and rows of relatives and friends all waiting to see us become adults. It's a little nauseating, to be honest. We still have to worry about the initiation process.

Every year, a different faction organizes the ceremony. This year's hosts are the Dauntless. A serious-looking man with neat blond hair, thick eyebrows, and a black leather jacket stands in front of the podium. He has an air of confidence and self-assurance that I wish I had. He calmly scans the room as he waits for everyone to finish filing in and taking their places.

"Welcome to the Choosing Ceremony," he says once everyone is settled. His voice is loud even without the microphone, and it echoes around the room a little. "Welcome to the day we honor the democratic philosophy of our ancestors, which tells us that every man has the right to choose his own way in this world."

Mikasa slips her hand into mine. I know she is nervous. She rarely goes to anyone for comfort, but I am grateful for her trust.

"Our dependents are now sixteen. They stand on the precipice of adulthood, and it is now up to them to decide what kind of people they will be." His voice is deep and confident, and it somehow makes me feel more secure in my choice. "Decades ago our ancestors realized that it is not political ideology, religious belief, race, or nationalism that is to blame for a warring world. Rather, they determined that it was the fault of human personality – of humankind's inclination toward evil, in whatever form that is. They divided into factions that sought to eradicate those qualities they believed responsible for the world's disarray."

I glance at the five bowls in the center of the room. Each contains something to represent each faction – glass for Candor, water for Erudite, gray stones for Abnegation, earth for Amity, and lit coals for Dauntless. I feel a small prickle of doubt in the back of my mind, but I know that I have to go through with this for my own sake.

"Those who blamed aggression formed Amity."

I've often envied the carefree way the Amity lived their lives, seemingly free of all conflict, but I've never for a second thought of myself living among them. I'm too confrontational.

"Those who blamed ignorance formed the Erudite."

The Erudite have done nothing but attack my faction recently. I have no desire to be one of them, now or ever.

"Those who blamed duplicity created Candor."

I could never be Candor.

"Those who blamed selfishness made Abnegation."

I am so very selfish.

"And those who blamed cowardice were the Dauntless."

I will tell myself that I am being brave, but my mother and father will not see it that way.

I begin to feel sick again, so I grip Mikasa's hand tighter for support.

"Working together, these five factions have lived in peace for many years, each contributing to a different sector of society. Abnegation has fulfilled our need for selfless leaders in government; Candor has provided us with trustworthy and sound leaders in law; Erudite has supplied us with intelligent teachers and researchers; Amity has given us understanding counselors and caretakers; and Dauntless provides us with protection from threats both within and without. But the reach of each faction is not limited to these areas. We give one another far more than can be adequately summarized. In our factions, we find meaning, we find purpose, we find life. Apart from them, we would not survive."

There's a chilling silence following his last statement. Our fear of being factionless is greater even than our fear of death.

The Dauntless man continues. "Therefore this day marks a happy occasion – the day on which we receive our new initiates, who will work with us toward a better society and a better world."

The cluster of factions behind us erupts into applause, though it sounds oddly quiet compared to the Dauntless man's voice. I take a deep breath. The Choosing is about to begin, and I don't want my future faction to see me shaking. I can't bring myself to seek out my mom and dad. I know they're somewhere behind us, no doubt waiting for our names to be called so we can go and join them with the rest of Abnegation. They don't know yet that that's not the plan anymore, not for me or for Mikasa.

The first to choose is a small-looking boy from Abnegation. He is the first to have his blood run over the small gray stones in his faction's bowl. I see him smile into the crowd of gray, then go to stand alone behind their seats. The mass of sixteen-year-olds is constantly shifting and moving. As soon as someone has chosen, a new name is called, and then they choose, and it repeats, repeats, repeats.

The first faction transfer is someone named Mylius Zeramuski. He's dressed in Erudite blue and barely hesitates before slicing into his palm and letting his blood drip onto the coals. They hiss, and the flames die down for a split second. If he can do it, so can I.

I barely listen as the names are called. Instead, I watch as the line of us grows shorter and shorter. It's almost my turn to choose, my turn to decide on a future with Dauntless. As the crowd down here thins, I begin to feel less nervous. It's more of an excited flutter in my stomach now, rather than a heavy sense of unease and dread. I'm ready.

"Mikasa Jaeger," the man says. She gently squeezes my hand one last time, whispering, "See you soon," next to my ear. She pulls away from me and strides up to the man in the middle of the room with a confidence I wished I possessed. She pauses for a fraction of a second, and I see her looking at the Abnegation bowl. Her eyes meet mine, then she cuts her hand and holds it over the flames. Again, I am grateful.

Now it's my turn. I'm walking before he's even done saying my name. I try to keep my face blank like Mikasa's, but my fists are clenched and my lips are pressed together too tightly for me to possibly seem nonchalant. As I stand in the circle in the middle of the room, I can't help but notice my parents' faces in the crowd. My father's face is displaying an odd mixture of distress, disappointment, and betrayal. My mother, however, is smiling. She puts her arm around my father's shoulder and nods at me. I feel myself begin to smile back as I cut into my hand and let my blood pool in my palm. I approach the Dauntless bowl and stare down at the burning coals for a few seconds. _This is where I belong now._ I tilt my hand and the blood trickles down.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: poor Carla and Grisha :(  
****i know im bad at writing you so i dont but you still got the shit end of this deal ;w;**

**so now its time for dauntless initiation to begin!**

**Chapter Seven**

I stand shoulder to shoulder with Mikasa as we watch the last one choose – a small-ish boy with bobbed blond hair and wide blue eyes that matched the Erudite shirt he was wearing behind thick-rimmed glasses. I'm sure he's going to choose his old faction. He looks like the bookish type. But then he turns to look at all of the new initiates standing with the Dauntless. He makes a split second of eye contact with me as he skims over us. Is he considering Dauntless? Surely he won't- But he does. He drags the knife across his palm like the rest of us did, then shuts his eyes tight and shoves his hand out over the coals. I can see the grimace on his face. His courage is impressive. I feel sorry for him.

Now that this is done, it is time to leave. The Dauntless go first. I can't look at my parents as we pass Abnegation, but I think Mikasa does, because when I turn to her she is wiping her eyes. The people behind me urge me onward, pushing, shoving me away from my old faction and my parents. The blond boy from earlier squeaks as he gets knocked into me and immediately begins apologizing. His face is pale and he looks shaken up, as if he's not really sure how he got here. I feel like I should be as well, but I'm not.

We are led to the stairs rather than the elevators. But isn't Abnegation the only faction that uses the stairs? Apparently not. Everyone around me starts running. I don't, at least not immediately, so I get jostled around quite a bit. There's whooping and shouting and yelling and laughter coming from all around and the booming of dozens of feet stomping and jumping. They're not doing this for the same reasons Abnegation did. This is for fun. That sensation of power and excitement you get from being wild and loud and bold and _noticeable_, everything that Abnegation shuns, that's what the Dauntless live for. What I live for, now.

The blond boy is sticking close to me. He turns to me with wide eyes. "What's happening? What are we doing?" He has to shout to be heard.

I have no idea, so I just shrug and try to keep up with the pace the Dauntless have set. My lungs and throat burn by the time we hit the first floor, but I wouldn't dream of quitting now. A surge of adrenaline hits me, keeping my legs moving. I think I let out a shout of my own, but Mikasa remains silent. The outside air is shockingly cold against my sweating skin and the setting sun paints the sky orange. The light reflects off the glass panes of the Hub and onto the crowd of Dauntless below.

We cut across the street, an amoeba of black with spots of gray and blue and red and yellow and white. At least one bus is blocked by our crossing. I am so wrapped up in this newfound excitement that I almost don't notice the Erudite boy beginning to lag behind. He's less used to running than even I am. He can't seem to catch his breath and is starting to stumble.

I jog back a couple steps, grab his arm, and pull him forward. I'm not going to let him fall behind. "Come on," I urge. "Keep up. You can do it. You have to. Come on, I'll help you."

He looks up at me, and I can see in his eyes that he is grateful for the support. His hand clasps mine, and he starts to run again, though it's still mostly me pulling him along by the time we manage to catch up to Mikasa. We follow the Dauntless down the street and around the corner when I hear a familiar sound. It's a sharp whistle, then a loud horn. The train is coming.

I can hear the boy beside me wheezing. "Oh, no," he groans. "Are we... supposed to get... on that thing?"

I can't keep myself from smiling, even as my throat feels like it's being rubbed raw with every new breath I take. "Yes."

The Erudite boy groans again. He begins to slow down. "I can't make it. This was a mistake. I'm not... I can't..."

I don't stop pulling him. "Listen, blondie. I'm definitely not failing Dauntless initiation. That means you're not failing, either. You can do it. You have to do it, or you're factionless. Come on. Don't you even think about giving up."

He keeps running, even if his steps are beginning to falter again. Mikasa darts behind and around us, then grabs the boy's other arm. As the three of us are running together, hearts beating fast and breath coming in short bursts, I know we can make it.

The crowd spreads out into a long line. The train seems to be gliding toward us, moving smoothly over its steel rails. Each car's door has been pulled open so the Dauntless can jump in. I see them do it, the older and more experienced jumping first, group by group, until it's only us that are left. The Dauntless-born initiates have had years of practice, and so they have no trouble getting on. Now it's just the faction transfers.

We've had a short break, and I hope that's enough for the Erudite boy next to me to get it together. Mikasa and I tug his shirt sleeves, motioning for him to follow us, and we begin jogging. We run beside the train for a few steps before I see Mikasa throw herself sideways. I do the same almost immediately. I look out at the remaining transfers and see the boy still there. He's still close enough to make it, barely, but he needs to jump really soon.

"Hey! Jump! Hurry up!" I shout at him. He jogs faster. "Come on, do it!"

He flings himself sideways. He falls short and doesn't manage to land in the car. Instead, he hits the side with a loud thump and what I think is swearing, though it's no curse I've ever heard before. He clings to a handle on the side of the doorway, his eyes wide with fear and grip so tight his knuckles are white.

"Mikasa, help me pull him in!"

We each grab hold of one of his wrists and tug him in. He collapses on the floor of the car and just lays there gasping and shaking. I sit next to him and pat his back.

"Hey, are you okay?" I ask.

He nods. I hear a muffled, "Thank you."

"I'm Eren," I say. "What's your name? I can't call you blondie forever."

It takes him a minute, but he manages to pull himself up to a sitting position. His face and neck are red and blotchy. "I'm Armin. Thank you for helping me."

"No problem."

I try to ignore the shouts of transfers whose friends didn't make it as the train begins to pick up speed. We cut it close, very close. Mikasa has moved to the back of the car near the wall. It's probably safer over there, so Armin and I do the same. A few minutes later, we get the small pleasure of watching the faction transfers who are still standing get blown over by a particularly strong burst of wind. They topple into each other like dominoes and I can't help but laugh. I thank the loud wind for covering it up.

I can see the setting sun's light reflecting off the glass buildings as we pass them. I even see the rows and rows of gray houses where I used to live. I feel the expected pang of sadness, but I do not feel regret. This train, taking us off to god-knows-where, is also taking me to my new home.

I am Dauntless now.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: oh man i havent updated in forever ;w;  
im in the middle of moving and starting school again and things are just a mess, so this will not update regularly (or all too frequently, sorry) after this point D':**

**My longest chapter yet**

**hell yeah**

****just sayin, i fuckin love Hange almost as much as i love you**  
i refer to Hange as 'they/them/their' for now since gender was not explicitly stated in manga, this will (sort of? can it ever really be?) be resolved later, but for now it will just be mildly confusing and i am sorry just sit tight my friends**

******[idk what im going to be doing with shipping like i know that in the book the whole tris/four thing happened but snk ship hate is pretty intense and i just dont know if i even wanna touch that right now like i might post alternate versions of chapters with different pairings later on but i think for now im going to steer clear (i mean i assume most of you guys are cool people who are totally tolerant of all ships but all it takes is one person you feel)]**

**Chapter Eight**

"They're jumping off!"

My back and neck ache as I stretch. It's been at least a half hour since we jumped on. I look outside. The train seems to have slowed considerably, and I can see several Dauntless from the cars ahead of us flinging themselves out onto a nearby rooftop. I look down and realize that we're not close to the ground – we're at least seven stories up. My stomach lurches and I tell myself it's not fear. I am not a good liar.

"We have to jump off, too," Mikasa says. She nudges Armin and me so that we stand, then pulls herself up. "Let's get this over with."

How does she suppress this fear? Armin's eyes are wide again, and I can see his hands clutching to the hem of his shirt. I'm terrified, too – my heart is racing and I feel like my feet have turned to lead. Mikasa glares at me. "What, are you honestly thinking about quitting now, Eren?"

_No,_ I think to myself. _I've gotten this far. I am going to succeed. I have to._ I feel a surge of anger like I've never felt before, not even when I got into fights at school. I'm angry at myself, at how easily I'd let my fear control me, how I even _dared_ to think about giving up after I had made the decision to leave the safety of Abnegation for whatever it was Dauntless had in store for me. It burns. Good. _I can use this._

Behind me, I hear two Amity freaking out. "No, Sasha! I can't! I can't do it!" It's a kid about Armin's height with a surprisingly long dark hair and yellow shirt. "I don't want to die!"

"Come on," pleads a girl with brown hair in a ponytail who must be Sasha. "You have to!"

"No! I... I don't think I can! You have to go without me!"

"I'm not leaving you, Connie," she shouts over the wind. "I know! Let's make it a competition! Whoever lands the farthest wins! It'll be fun!"

Connie stands a little straighter. "Will you... pull me off with you?" he says quietly. It sounds almost like a whisper.

"Of course! You have to jump too though, or we won't make it!"

Mikasa and I stand at the edge of the car. Armin is still inching forward slowly as we approach the roof. "Let's count to three," Armin suggests. "Then we all jump together."

"One. Two. Three!"

I launch myself forward. The wind whipping past makes me feel like I'll be blown away somewhere until I hit the rooftop, and hard. Bits of gravel scrape at my hands as I push myself up. Mikasa is already standing and is trying to help Armin, who is rubbing his left ankle. Seconds later, I hear a scream. It's the girl, Sasha. She's hanging onto the edge of the roof desperately, shrieking for help. Her Amity friend, Connie, crouches nearby.

"Sasha! Sasha, grab my hand!"

"I'm going to fall if I let go! Connie!"

I watch as Connie swallows, then leans over the edge as far as he dares and grips Sasha's forearm. "I'm going to try and pull you up, okay? You need to stop struggling and let me."

Sasha just whimpers in fear. Connie begins pulling her up, slowly, so slowly.

Someone jerks abruptly, perhaps Sasha, or maybe Connie tried to shift into a more stable position. There's the sound of gravel crunching as he slips, his feet sliding out from beneath him. He lets out a yelp and skids forward towards the edge, still desperately clutching Sasha as if by holding on he could save them both. They scream in terror, and it is the most awful thing I've ever had to hear. I break into a run – maybe if I can get there fast enough, maybe I can help-

"You need to work on your landing," a deep female voice says. A tall, lean girl with dark brown hair pulled into a low ponytail and dressed in the black and white of Candor manages to grab Connie's leg and drag him, and by extension Sasha, back onto the rooftop. "Not that I'd really expect anything else from you Amity softies. Just try not to get killed. I know it's difficult for you."

"Th-thank you!" Sasha manages to squeak out. "You're my hero!"

"Whatever," the girl says, waving her hand and turning to walk away. "The name's Ymir, and now both of you dorks owe me."

As soon as she's gone, I can hear Connie and Sasha talking animatedly about how cool Ymir is and how strong she must be to be able to pull the two of them back over the ledge. Sasha then makes a joke about how she definitely won their game. I'm wondering how they're able to recover from a near-death experience so quickly. Maybe it's an Amity thing.

A Dauntless girl elbows past me to get closer to the cluster of people standing nearby. "Out of my way, Stiff."

Of course. _Call me a Stiff, that _never_ gets old._

Just then, I hear a shout over the murmuring of the initiates. "Listen up!" it says. The voice belongs to a person – it's hard to tell if they're a man or a woman – who has reddish-brown hair in a high ponytail and is wearing some kind of glasses, as well as a knee-length black coat and maroon shirt with black pants and boots. "My name is Hange! I am one of the leaders of your new faction!" She looks the same age as the other Dauntless members we're with, maybe even younger, and she stands on the ledge like it's a sidewalk. Like someone didn't almost die from falling off of it literally two minutes ago. Hange cackles and I shudder. "Several stories below us is the members' entrance to our compound. If you're not brave enough to jump off, then you can get out now."

Hange twirls around on one foot, and I fear for their safety. They stumble a little bit, but then catch their balance right before they would have gone toppling off the side. Hange straightens, then whoops and bows mockingly at us. "Our initiates have the _privilege_ of going first."

Connie pales. "You want us to jump off a _ledge_?"

"I don't know why this shocks you," I hear Ymir mutter from somewhere nearby.

"Yes," Hange says, obviously amused by his outburst.

"Is there water at the bottom or something?"

Hange's grin turns manic and they pirouette again. "_Who knows?_"

The crowd of fully fledged Dauntless parts in front of us leaving whoever wants to go first plenty of space to do so. I can't see anyone who wants to be the first. Even Ymir with her cocky attitude is pretending not to be paying attention. Then again, she really might not be. Connie and Sasha play at brushing gravel off each others' clothes. Armin is shaking again. Mikasa remains impassive, yet unmoving.

I decide to make an impression. Mikasa says I've always had a tendency to show off and that it would get me into trouble, but today it will make me the first jumper. I'm willing to bet that there's something at the bottom of the hole that will keep us safe. The Dauntless are brave, but hopefully not stupid. I'm about to find out. I walk to the edge and hear whispers and snickering from behind me.

Hange graciously moves aside to allow me to step up to the ledge and look down. The wind is strong enough to be worrying, but not enough to actually push me over... I think. My loose gray Abnegation clothes whip around, tugging at my arms and legs. The roof of this building touches the roofs of two other buildings with a third directly across from me, forming a square of pavement at the bottom with a huge, dark hole in the middle. It's too dark or too deep to see what's at the bottom.

_Dauntless is brave, not stupid. Brave. Not stupid._ I repeat this to myself as I prepare to jump. I think it's the only thing that kept me from backing down. Even if I had wanted to, I'm not sure I could have – not with all these people watching me. I look at the hole one more time before I jump, and I get that all-too-familiar feeling of nausea. _Why don't I just wait for someone else to go first?_ I think to myself. _Weak, _I whisper back. _You need to be brave. How dare you back down now? Coward!_

The anger is back, and it makes me bend my knees and fling myself off the edge. The wind whips up against my body as I fall, pushing against my arms and chest. I pull myself into a ball, my heart pounding in my ears, my stomach roiling and making me feel like I'm going to be sick in midair. The thought isn't pleasant.

I collide with something. It drives the air from my lungs, and I gasp in shock. I feel my leg get stuck in it as I try to move. It moves with me and doesn't feel quite solid. My vertigo is back, somehow, as I try to roll off.

I realize what it is as soon as my eyes adjust. It's a net. I've landed in a net! I can feel a hysterical giggle escape my lips and I try to stop myself, but I still end up laying in the net, unmoving, laughing. I try to pull myself off so that I can get my feet back on the ground again so this feeling will pass. Several hands reach out for me, so I grab them and pull myself across. I get a little tangled as I reach the edge and definitely would have fallen face-first onto the ground if he hadn't caught me.

"He" is the kid attached to the hand that I grabbed. He looks like he's maybe my age, but he has neatly cut short black hair, intimidating gray eyes, and a blank expression not unlike Mikasa's. He holds onto my shoulder with one hand, then reaches over to disentangle my foot with the other. "Real fucking smooth, kid. That landing was graceful as shit."

His voice is way deeper than a kid his age's should be. It freaks me out a little. I decide to just give a polite, "Thanks."

He grunts in response, then glares appraisingly at me for a second before letting go.

I notice how high up we are now. Around the platform we stand on is a cavern that's at lest ten feet deep.

"Can't believe it," says someone standing behind me. I turn and see that it's a somewhat tall man with oddly light hair and a condescending look on his face. He looks older than most of the Dauntless I've seen. "A Stiff, the first to jump? Un-fucking-believable."

"Yeah? There's a reason he's here and not in Abnegation, Auruo," the boy says. "Hey, kid. What's your name?"

"Eren," I say, for once feeling just as confident as I sound.

"Eren," Auruo repeats, something of a smirk on his face. I'm not sure that I like him yet. "Make the announcement, Four."

The boy – Four, apparently – turns around and shouts into the darkness, "First jumper – Eren!"

A cluster of Dauntless emerge from the shadows and crowd around me. They cheer and pump their fists, whooping as another two initiates drop from the ceiling. It's Mikasa and Armin, and from the sound of it Armin was screaming the whole way down. The Dauntless laugh at first, but their laughter soon turns to cheering again once they've pulled them both out of the net.

Four steps up to stand beside me and says, "Welcome to Dauntless."

**AN: i like to think that eren at least briefly considered calling himself "Jaegerbomb" or some other name that would be totally cool to a dumbshit kid but funny/humiliating to everyone else like... imagine  
**

**hes thirty now and people refer to him only as Jaegerbomb**

**thats it thats his name like who is this "eren" no friend you are Jaegerbomb you made your bed now lie in it**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: haha its been so long**

**im so sorry**

**ive sort of given up on this for a while (hopefully not forever, but school just really has killed my *~FIGHTING SPIRIT~***

**anyway i know this is pretty awful lol but if i do ever get around to actually finishing this thang then ill definitely do some editing so it feels less... plagiarized. (i am uncreative trash gomen ;w;)**

Chapter 9

Once everyone that had made the jump was ready and lined up (and once Connie and Sasha, who had apparently jumped while holding hands, had calmed down enough to get anything done), Auruo and Four lead us down a narrow tunnel deeper into the Dauntless compound. There are light sources, but they are few and far between, so I stick to the side and run my hand along the stone wall to reassure myself that I'm not plummeting into darkness. It's hard to see anything because just when I feel like my vision's beginning to adjust we hit another light. It's maddening.

Eventually we stop. Armin, who had been walking close behind me, accidentally bumps into my

shoulder. "Sorry," he whispers. I think I hear Mikasa chuckle.

"This is where we'll be splitting up," Auruo drawls. "The Dauntless-born initiates are with me. I'm sure _you_ don't want to have to stick around with the transfers for the tour." He smiles – to me, it looks smug, but I'm guessing that his face is just stuck like that – and beckons to the Dauntless-born initiates. They separate themselves from the rest of us and follow him into the darkness. There are seventeen total transfers, which surprises me. It's a much larger group than I was expecting, though I know we lost some people on the way here. The Dauntless-born group was about the same size, but I don't think any of them failed out. Mikasa and I are the only Abnegation here, still dressed in our modest gray. There are a shocking four Amity in this batch of recruits, which strikes me as odd. Weren't they raised for peace? Then again, I was raised to be self-sacrificing, but look at my choices. The rest are pretty much an even split between Candor and Erudite. I've heard they're the most common transfers to Dauntless.

Four addresses us next. "Most of the time I'm in the control room, but I'm going to be your instructor these next couple of weeks," he says. "Name's Four."

"Four?" Sasha asks. "Like the number?"

"Yeah," he replies flatly. "Problem?"

"Uhh... No."

"Perfect. We're about to go into the Pit, which you'll probably learn to tolerate someday. It-"

Connie can't seem to stop himself from laughing. "The Pit? Clever name."

Four walks up to Connie and pulls his collar down slightly so they're at eye level. His eyes are narrowed slightly, and for a couple of seconds he just looks at him.

"What's your name?" he asks.

"Connie," he somehow manages to spit out.

"Well, Connie, if I wanted to listen to Amity softies giggling like idiots, I would have joined their faction," he hisses. "The first lesson you will learn from me is to keep your mouth shut. Got it?"

Connie nods weakly. Four nods, letting go of Connie's shirt before he turns to Sasha and says, "You too, ponytail." She squeaks.

Four continues the walk toward the dark end of the tunnel. After the display, everyone moves on in silence. Amazingly, Connie and Sasha manage to keep quiet the rest of the way. I begin to realize that, as much as I thought I liked Four, I was scared of him – or, at least, he intimidated me. He had seemed calm enough on the platform, but now... his apparent calmness made me vaguely nervous. I would have to watch myself around him.

Four pushes open a set of double doors, allowing us entrance into the place he'd referred to as "the Pit".

I suppose that's the best way to describe the huge underground cavern we currently found ourselves in. I can't see where it ends. The jagged rock walls rise high above my head, with places for food, clothing, supplies, and leisure activities carved into its sides. There are narrow paths and stairs cut into the stone to allow members to travel from one area to another, but I don't see any railing to keep someone from falling. It must add to the thrill.

I look up at the ceiling and for a second, it doesn't click that it's made up of giant panes of glass. Above them is a huge building that is letting in the last of today's sunlight. I can't look away. This feels so much more amazing than anything I'd ever seen in my time with Abnegation, and I want to take in every last detail. There's a slight, eerie blue glow emanating from some lanterns hanging nearby as the sun continues to set. I can hear the laughter and chatter of Dauntless from one of the closer wall paths as they go about their day. They move with the relaxed confidence of those who know the cavern like the back of their hand. I wonder if I will ever be able to move like that.

"Why are there no elderly Dauntless?" Armin whispers to me. I shrug. It's dangerous being a member of this faction. I learned that from Sasha and Connie almost as soon as we arrived. Maybe no one makes it to old age. It's not a comforting thought, and it's one I definitely don't want to dwell on.

"Follow me, brats," Four calls over his shoulder. "Get it in gear and I'll take you to the chasm."

He begins moving forward immediately after speaking, not even bothering to check if anyone is actually following him. He walks very quickly for someone so short, but I'm not about to point that out. He leads us to the right, into a particularly dark area of the Pit. I hear the loud roar of rushing water before I see it – there's an iron barrier here, and if I peer over I can just make out what looks like a fast-moving river. I see flecks of white foam where the water crashes over the jagged rocks at the bottom. Even though there is a piece of metal between it and me, I get the feeling that I will fall in and it will consume me.

Oddly enough, it's not an altogether frightening feeling.

"The chasm reminds us that there's a fine line between being brave and being a straight-up dumbass," Four shouts over the water. "I know you've just taken the first step on the road to Dauntless and that a lot of you probably feel invincible right now, which is why I need to make myself perfectly clear. A daredevil jump off this ledge will fucking kill you. It has happened before and it's definitely going to happen again. You've been warned."

Mikasa's eyes are wide as she stares at the rapids below. Armin is nervously jabbering something about the steepness of the cliff here. He's in the middle of spouting off some calculation about our odds of surviving a drop from different positions at the top of the chasm when a particularly vicious bit of foam sprays up from the side with the sound of water crashing into the cavern wall, drenching one of his sleeves. He yelps in surprise at the sudden splash of cold water.

"Careful," Mikasa murmurs, pulling him away from the edge.

"Alright, I don't know about you, but I'm fucking hungry," Four says, then begins walking back across the Pit. I hear muttered agreement – Sasha even starts drooling at the idea of food – and the group of initiates trails after him like ducklings. He guides us to a large, well lit room carved into the wall. I can hear the scraping of chairs and the clattering of silverware on plates before I'm even in the room. My stomach grumbles. As soon as we enter, the Dauntless in the dining area stand and voice their approval. They stomp, applaud, shout. Normally, a display like this would only serve to intimidate or annoy me, but today it doesn't. Today it means I am one of them. I smile.

Eventually the noise dies down again as everyone goes back to their meals. Mikasa finds a half-empty table at the very back of the room, almost completely hidden from view, but Mikasa has the eyes of a hawk. She makes a beeline for it and Armin and I follow, trying to match her stride.

It seems that the other initiates have followed us, and I somehow end up wedged between Mikasa and Four. I feel strangely at home. Mikasa has already taken one of the odd circular sandwiches from the plate in the middle of the table and is examining it carefully. Armin is biting into his eagerly, so I figure it must be good. I take a tentative bite, and it is.

Four elbows me in the arm. I think he did it harder than he meant to, because it sort of hurt.

"Here, try putting this on it," he says, offering me a bowl of some kind of red sauce.

Behind me, I hear Armin giving Mikasa what he calls a "hamburger crash course". I'll assume that the circle sandwich is a hamburger so that I can avoid asking a dumb question. I'm not sure why, but I don't want Four and the rest of the initiates to think I'm an idiot this early on.

Four leans around me to face Mikasa. "You've never had a hamburger before, have you?"

"No," she replies honestly. "Neither has Eren."

Sasha, who is sitting nearby, is dumbfounded. "How have you even survived this long without ever tasting a burger?"

"Stiffs eat plain food," Four replies, nodding solemnly.

"But... but _why_?"

"Extravagance is considered self-indulgent and unnecessary," Mikasa says immediately in a voice that suggests she is reading this out of a textbook.

Sasha's eyes are wide as she half-whispers, "No wonder you left!"

"What other reason could we have possibly had for leaving?" I ask, snorting.

I think I see Four huff out a laugh, but when I turn to look at him, he's as stonefaced as ever.

Someone seats themselves with a thunk in the spot to Four's right, pushing him into my side and further crowding the table. A pale arm wraps around his shoulder and I hear a familiar voice greet him. "Hey, Four! How's it going? Hate any of them yet?"

Four rolls his eyes in response and tries to go back to eating. I crane my neck to see over him – despite his small stature, when we're both seated we are the same height – and am met by a shock of red hair that I recognize immediately.

"Hello, Hange... err, is it sir or ma'am?" I say as politely as I can.

"That's a secret," Hange says, glancing around the room in a way that is obviously supposed to look mysterious or cool. "Either works, I guess. I'm not really picky with pronouns, so just call me what you want." Then, as an afterthought, "Nothing rude though, or I'll rip your cute little tongue out!"

"Of course not, Hange, ma'am!"

"Oh~ so I am a lovely lady, eh Eren~?"

"Wow, shitty glasses, you managed to remember this brat's name," Four says, turning his head slightly to meet Hange's gaze as he saves me from his superior.

"I always remember the first jumpers. Why do you think I even bothered remembering _you_?" she asks, grinning.

"Haha. Shut up, four-eyes," he says, though there's not really any actual malice in his voice. "So. What do you want?"

"Huh? Do I have to want something to spend time with my dear friend from-"

"Yes, usually."

"Oh... well, crap. I've been found out," Hange says with a _you-can't-blame-me-for-trying_ smile and shrug. "Nile wanted to talk to you. Said you keep standing him up."

"Yeah, that's because he wants me to be his henchman and I'm not biting. He can shove himself up his own ass for all I care."

"Ooh, that's crude, even for you!" Hange says gleefully. "Well, I'll tell him I talked with you. Should I pass along your message?"

"I don't give a fuck," Four replies with all the honesty of a Candor written on his face. "If you bring him down here I'll say it to his face."

Hange cackles. It's just as shudder-inducing as I remember. "Amusing as _that'd _be, I'm sure it's not necessary. Well, I'm gonna go sit with Erwin and them. Toodles~!"

As quickly as she arrived, Hange leaves, pushing herself up from the table and striding to the hole in the wall that leads back out into the pit. She waves in our direction as she goes. I decide that despite the freaky first impression she made, I like Hange.


End file.
